Misunderstood
by justanoutlaw
Summary: They had been married for a while and it was a question they danced around: When are you going to add to the family?


**This is for my girl, bauerfanstraten. She loves Dragon Queen and the picture of Kristin playing with Lola, so here is a mix of the lovely ladies and dogs.**

They had been married for a while and it was a question they danced around.

When are you going to add to the family?

They each had brought one child into the marriage. Lily was in her early 30s, Henry was nearly 16. Regina couldn't get pregnant and Maleficent wasn't sure if she wanted to be again. They loved the way things were, they had adapted to the way things were. As much as they both loved babies, they were fine with not having one together.

Yet, they still wanted to add to their family, in some way.

They looked at different animals, trying to figure out what would be the right pet for them.

"What about a snake?" Maleficent suggested.

"I think Henry would try to permanently move into Emma's," Regina told her. "He hates them."

"Birds?"

"Do I look like Snow White to you?"

Maleficent snorted. "Alright, point taken."

"I was thinking more of your typical household pet."

"We've never been normal."

"Now could be the time to start."

"I'm not getting a fish, those things are a pain in the ass."

Regina chuckled. "Alright, no fish and no birds. How about a dog?"

Maleficent paused. "A dog?"

"Yes. There are so many in pounds that need a place to stay."

"Hmm…I suppose we could do some research."

That was just what they did. They spent the next few weeks looking at different websites and checking some books out from the library. Lily and Henry would put their two cents in every so often, but they knew as little about dogs as their mothers did.

"I keep going back to these guys," Regina said, showing Maleficent her laptop. "It's a foster home for animals nearby. They have a few different breeds, but look at these guys."

Maleficent smiled as she saw the two dogs, they had black fur with bits of white mixed in. They were a bit on the larger size, but were playing in the pictures and videos with their ad. "What breed are they?"

"Pitbulls," Regina explained. "They get a bad rap, but really it's all about how you raise them. The ad says that they're really playful and loving, they were rescued from an abusive home. They've been in the foster home for a while, no one wants to take them on."

"They're misunderstood…just like the two of us."

Maleficent paused, reflecting on it. She had read a lot about pitbulls and felt terrible for the bad rap they received. If they had been raised by terrible people, it wasn't their fault for how they turned out. They needed to be loved and nurtured. They needed a home.

They could be that home for them.

A few days later, they went to the house where the pits were. They made their way through to the back porch where they were. The dogs ran up to them and instantly started sniffing around them. Maleficent and Regina extended their hands, soon they were being slobbered with kisses. They spent the rest of the afternoon playing with them and getting covered in dog fur. By the end of it, they knew.

These dogs were becoming a part of their family.

Regina paid the fee and signed the papers while Maleficent sat on the floor, allowing one of them to lick her face while the other brought her different sticks from the yard. Leading them out to the car, she realized something.

"They need names."

Regina paused for a minute. "Well, they're both boys. How about Jacob for this one?" She ruffled his fur.

Maleficent grinned. "I like that. And Marley for this one." She patted the top of his head. The two had been watching A Christmas Carol recently, it seemed to be a perfect match.

They had bought everything they would need already so they were able to show Jacob and Marley around the house. They had gotten two big beds for them and set them up in their rooms. Halfway through the night though, they ended up in between the two women. Maleficent chuckled, kissing the top of Jacob's head.

"They're going to be a handful, aren't they?"

"Like their mothers, I suppose."


End file.
